Sewing machine



June 29, 1937. 4 Q EDWARDS 2,085,253

SEWING MACHINE Filed March :51, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E :S 4- i 1: 12

Witness flventov WW1 WWW M 6 W June 3 c. E. EDWARDS SEWING MACHINE Filed MarchSl, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eunzov Wine-66 44M MM Patented June 29, 1937 UNi'i'hh STATES SEWING MACHINE Application March 31, 1936, Serial No. 71,871

11 Qlaims.

The present invention relates to sewing machines for applying a strip of reenforcing or other tape to a work piece, and more particularly to machines in which tape having an adhesive coating is attached close to the edge of the work piece.

When reenforcing the edge of a shoe upper, or in other classes or" Work, a narrow tape is often sewed to the edge to prevent stretching. With certain classes of work it has been found desirable to apply an adhesive coating to this tape before sewing.

In sewing tape having an adhesive coating to a work piece, however, many difiiculties arise, due to the stickiness of the tape, which interferes with its being guided properly to the point of operation of the sewing devices. The tape must be held out of contact with the work operated upon before it reaches a position close to the stitching point sothat the work may be turned freely to follow the desired curvature in design or shape intended for the finished work. If the tape comes into engagement with the work so as to adhere before the stitching point is reached, the tape is also likely to become displaced in the guide through which it is led when the work is turned.

When adhesive tape is. intermittently moved lengthwise between confining surfaces of a guide to the stitch forming devices of a sewing machine, the tape either adheres rigidly to the surfaces of the guide between feeding movements andcauses irregular stitch spacing or, if the tape is insufficiently confined to cause sticking to the surfaces of the guide, it will not be directed accurately to the stitching devices. If the tape is left unsupported until it reaches a position just ahead of the stitch forming devices and a narrow guiding member is employed, about which the tape is bent at an abrupt angle into the plane of the work, the adhesive coating on the tape will be scraped off and will accumulate on the guiding member, causing difficulty at the stitching point for this reason.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved sewing machine for rapidly stitching a strip of adhesively coated tape accurately and uniformly in any desired predetermined relation to a work piece without the necessity of exercising more than ordinary skill or ability in operating the machine. Other objects of the invention are to obviate the difficulties hereinbefore referred to and toprovide a sewing machine in which the adhesively coated tape may be directed to the stitching point out of contact with the work, and in which the tendency to scrape the adhesive coating from the tape, or to cause irregularities in feed due to stickiness of the tape will be prevented.

With these and other objects in view, the features of the present invention contemplate the provision with a guide for directing a strip of adhesive tape accurately towards the stitching point in a sewing machine, of tape freeing means for moving the tape relatively to the guide at right angles to the length of the tape without pressing the tape against the work, thus breaking any adhesive grip obtained on the confining surface of the guide between feeding movements of the work through the machine and permitting the work to be turned easily while sewing. As hereinafter described, the confining surfaces of the tape guide are made substantially fiat and arranged to direct the tape beneath the Work supporting surface of the work support to prevent it from sticking to the work before the tape reaches the level of the work engaging surface of the Work support. Preferably, the tape freeing means acts during each feeding movement of the feeding devices of the machine so that as soon as the adhesive grip is broken, feeding may take place with a single continuous movement. With such an arrangement, the attached tape and work may be fed uniformly and the unattached tape may be guided accurately to the stitching point so as to be applied to the work according to the exact relation in which the work is presented.

These and other features of the invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed descriptions of the structure therein shown. In the drawings:F-ig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a portion of the stitch forming and work supporting devices in a machine embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of certain parts of the machine indicating their relation with the work, as viewed from the left side of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan View on a still further enlarged scale of the work supporting plate of the machine; Fig. 4 is a view in section, taken along the line i4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the work plate and a portion of the feed dog; Fig. 5 is a view in section of a portion of the work supporting plate taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3, and also showing the feed dog; and Fig. 6 is another sectional view of the same parts as taken along the line 65 of Fig. 3.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is arranged to apply a reenforcement to the edge of opening 2 3 in the work plate.

a work piece, as, for instance, to the margin surrounding the ankle opening of a shoe upper or along the exposed edge of a toe cap. As shown in Fig. 1, a toe cap piece 5 is indicated in operating position in the machine. The reenforcement consists of an ornamental French binding formed by sewing one edge of a binding strip 2 (Fig. 2) with the registering edge of the work piece. The free edge of the binding strip is then folded over the edge of the work and secured in position in this relation when the Work piece is incorporated in the shoe. To hold the folded-over edge of the binding strip temporarily in place, a flat narrow tape 3 having adhesively coated surfaces is attached at the side of the work piece opposite to the binding strip simultaneously with the binding strip. The adhesively coated tape then causes the edge of the binding strip to adhere when folded over, and to remain in this position until later stitching operations secure the parts permanently. I

The sewing mechanism of the machine illustrated is the same as in a well-known lockstitch machine of the dry thread type having a hollow horizontally projecting work supporting arm 3 arranged to permit the work to move freely about the end of the arm without interfering with its natural feeding movements through the machine when operating upon an irregularly shaped work piece such as a shoe upper. The stitch forming devices of the machine comprise a straight eye-pointed needle 6, and a shuttle, not shown, supported within the work supporting arm 6. The work is held in position in the machine between a work supporting 'plate 8 at the end of the supporting arm 4, and a presser in the form of a roll it mounted at the lower end of a yieldingly actuated presser bar I 2. The work is fed by a feed dog M which is given a four-motion movement to raise the adhesive tape from the work support plate and press the tape against the work while feeding. The binding strip is directed from a suitable supply above the work downwardly towards the point of operation of the stitch forming devices through a yielding guiding loop l6 and through a flat tubular guide l8 carried by the presser bar it. To remove any irregularities along the edge of the work piece 2 a trimming knife is of well-known form may be employed or, if the edge of the work piece is already uniform, it may be guided by an edge gage 2G, and the trimming knife 99 may be thrown out of operation. As thus briefly referred to, the operating devices of the machine are of well-known construction and need not be described in further detail.

In order to guide the adhesively coated tape 3 to the stitching point according to the present invention, the work supporting plate 3 is formed with a tape receiving recess 22 below the level of the work engaging surface thereof and tape freeing means, hereinafter described, is employed to keep the tape from sticking in the recess. The recess extends from the front edge of the work support substantially to the point of operation of the needle which is reciprocated through a needle The recess is so arranged that the tape will be directed to the stitching point in parallel relation to, but out of contact with the work so as not to interfere with turning the work.

' To shield the tape and confine it within the recess 22 against contact with the work before the tape reaches the stitching point, the work plate is provided with thin overhanging fins 2t and 28. The lower surface of the recess 22 which is opposed to the under surfaces of the fins is substantially flat and parallel to the work engaging surface of the work plate 8, but is spaced from the under surface of the fins sufficiently to permit relatively free movement of the tape within the recess. The tape passing through the recess is also confined at its edges. At the edge closest'to the needle a T-shaped edge gage 30 is adjustably secured beneath the fin it by a screw 32. At the other edge of the tape there is arranged a flat leaf spring 3 3 secured at one end to the work plate with its other end reaching substantially to the end of the recess 22 close to the stitching point. To regulate the pressure of the free end of the spring 26 against the edge of the tape, so as to obtain the proper guiding by the edge gage 39, a suitable adjusting screw 35 is threaded through the side of the work plate to engage the central part of the spring.

In order to free the adhesive tape in the tape guiding recess 22 during each cycle of the machine and prevent the stickiness of the tape from interfering with proper movement along the surfaces over which it is guided, there is provided beneath the work support plate an upwardly projecting foot 38 having a toothed upper work engaging surface arranged to enter the space between the opposed surfaces of the tape guiding recess. The work support is formed with an opening it through which the foot 38 operates, and during each movement of the feed dog the foot 33 is raised into the recess 22 so as to separate the tape by movement at right angles to the length of the tape away from the lower surface of the recess to a position disengaged both from said lower surface and the work, and also from the under surface of fins 2% and 28 which form a por- I tion of the work engaging surface of the work support plate. To operate the foot 38, it is formed integrally with the feed dog it and is supported L with its work engaging surface on the downwardly extending portion of the feed dog in such relation as to hold the tape beneath the opposed confining surfaces of the recess 22. The foot 38 thus is raised during movement of the feed dog and moves with the tape during the entire feeding movement thereof before the tape reaches the level of the work supporting surface of the work support so as to prevent any obstruction in the feeding movement of the tape through the guiding recess.

To enable the adhesive tape to be directed into a position substantially parallel with the work and in line with the seam before entering the recess 22, on the forward end of the work plate there is mounted a block 42 having a rotatable cylindrical roll 44 from the surface of which the tape passes without further bending into the recess 22. The block 42 is adjustably secured to the work support by means of a screw G6 passing through a slot in the block and into a threaded opening in the work support. Before engaging the cylindrical roll 44, the adhesive tape is carried upwardly from a roll 48 rotatable on a screw 56 substantially in line with the seam and forming an angle with the work engaging surface of the work support, so arranged as to give a twist to the tape of substantially 90 degrees between the cylindrical roll 44 and the roll 48. The adhesive tape is directed towards the roll 38 from a supply device having a roll 52 at one side of the seam line. Due to the tendency of the tape to stick to any surfaces which it engages and to the angle through which the tape passes about the roll 48, this roll is formed with a conical surface to prevent creeping of the tape axially along the rolls it and 58.

The foot 38, as it acts on the tape within the guide recess 22, not only raises the tape to break its adhesive grip on the lower surface of the recess, but moves the edges of the tape along the side surfaces of the edge gauge 35 and spring 36 so as to prevent sticking to these parts also.

Moving the tape in this manner during feeding assists in breaking the adhesion of the tape with the roll i l and prevents it from being wound about the roll substantially beyond the point where a tape without an adhesive coating would naturally separate from the roll.

To cooperate properly with the trimming knife It), the work supporting plate 8 is formed with an opening E l and a yieldingly actuated pivoted cover piece or gate 55 of the usual form is provided. However, to conform with the space requirements of the tape guiding recess, the pivot 58 for the cover piece is located at the rearward side of the stitching point rather than in front, as in the usual construction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, work feeding devices, guiding means for the adhesive tape comprising a fixed member engaging one edge of the tape to direct said edge close to the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, a yielding member engaging the other edge of tape to hold said first mentioned edge against the fixed guide member, and means engaging the tape periodically between the fixed and yielding members to break the adhesion between the tape and the guide.

2. A sewing machine for attaching a-dhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, work feeding devices and guiding means for the adhesive tape comprising a cylindrical roll from the surface portion of which the adhesive tape passes substantially parallel to the work engaging the surface of the work support and in line with the seam towards the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, and a conical roll having a rotary axis arranged to pass the tape at an angle to the work engaging surface of the work support with a lengthwise twist towards the cylindrical roll from a supply at one side the seam line.

3. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support plate having a recess extending substantially to the point of operation of the stitch forming devices for guiding a strip of adhesive tape below the level of the work engaging surface of said plate, means for shielding the tape from contact with the work before the tape reaches the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, a presser acting to hold the work against the tape during operation of the stitch forming devices, a feed dog acting beyond the point of operation of the stitch forming devices to raise the work and adhesive tape from the work support while feeding, and a member acting simultaneously with the feeding movement of the feed dog and engaging the tape beneath the shielding means before the tape reaches the level of the work engaging surface of the work support to break the adhesion between the tape and the recess.

4. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support plate having a recess extending substantially to the point of operation of the stitch forming devices for guiding a strip of adhesive tape below the level of the work engaging surface of the Work support plate, means for shielding the tape from contact with the work before the tape reaches the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, a presser acting to hold the work against the tape during operation of the stitch forming devices, and a. feed dog formed with two work engaging portions, one of which acts beyond the point of operation of the stitch forming devi es to separate the adhesive tape from the work support plate in feeding the work, and the other of which engages the tape beneath the shielding means before the work engaging surface of the support plate is reached to break the adhesion between the tape and the inner surfaces of the recess.

5. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, work feeding devices, tape guiding means formed with confining surfaces beween which the adhesive tape is for directing the tape out of contact with the work towards the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, and means engaging the tape between said surfaces to actuate the tape away from one surface and towards the other surface and to hold the tape between said surfaces during the entire feeding movement of the tape.

6. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, tape guiding means formed with a confining surface for directing the adhesive tape towards the point of operation of the stitch forming devices and tape freeing means arranged to actuate the adhesive tape during sewing relatively to the confining surface at right angles to the length of the tape to a position disengaged from, the confining surface and from the materials operated upon.

'7. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, tape guiding means formed with opposed guiding surfaces for confining the adhesive tape below the level of the work engaging surface of the work support, and tape freeing means engaging the adhesive tape between the confining surfaces of the guiding means before the tape reaches the work supporting surface of the work support and acting at right angles to the tape confining surfaces to move the tape to a position etween said surfaces.

8. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, a. work feeding device, a guide formed with opposed confining surfaces for directing the adhesive tape below the level of the work engaging surface of the work support towards the point of operation of the stitch forming devices, and tape freeing means on the feeding device acting on the adhesive tape along one of the confining surfaces of the guide to hold the tape out of engagement with both said confining surfaces during the entire feeding movement of the tape.

9. A sewing machine for attaching adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having,

in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, work feeding devices acting above the level of the Work support to press the tape against the materials operated upon, guiding means for 5 the adhesive tape comprising a roll below the work engaging surface of the work support about the surface portion of which roll the tape passes and'from which the tape is drawn by the feeding devices towards the point of operation of the 10 stitch forming devices, and tape freeing means acting at right angles to the length of the tape between the roll and the feeding devices to move with the tape during the entire feeding movement of the tape before that portion of tape engaged 15 by the freeing means reaches the level of the Work engaging surface of the work support.

10. A sewing machine for attaching simultaneously an overedge binding strip and an adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having,

0 in combination, stitch forming devices, awork support, a presser, work feeding devices acting above the level of the Work engaging surface of the work support to press the adhesive tape against the materials operated upon, a guide on 5 the presser for the binding strip, guiding means on the Work support having opposed confining surfaces below the level of the Work engaging surface of the work sup-port along which confining surfaces the adhesive tape is pulled by the work 30 feeding devices, and tape freeing means projecting between the confining surfaces engaging the adhesive tape before the level of the work engaging surface of the work support is reached to free the tape from adhesion with the confining surfaces and to hold the tape out of engagement with the confining surfaces during the entire feeding movement of the tape.

11. A sewing machine for attaching simultaneously an overedge binding strip and an adhesively coated tape to materials operated upon, having, in combination, stitch forming devices, a work support, a presser, Work feeding devices acting above the level of the work engaging surface of the work support to press the adhesive tape against the materials operated upon, a guide on the presser for the binding strip, guiding means for the adhesive tape comprising a roll about the surface portion of which the tape passes and opposed confining surfaces below the level of the Work engaging surface of the work support along which the adhesive tape travels from the roll means and acting at right angles to the length of the tape to separate and hold the tape from the confining surfaces before the portion of tape engaged reaches the level of the work engaging surface of the work support.

CHARLES E. EDWARDS. 

